The Search
by duchessofbooks
Summary: Mok asks Angel to search for his mother. During her investigation, Angel unlocks dark secrets of the Swagger family. Rated T to be safe. Angel/Mok romance.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Mok, the retired rock star knew he was dreaming and it was not a pleasant one. The dream was featuring memories of his childhood, the ones he wished to lock away forever.

_The first memory was of a young Mok taking a bath and being looked after by his father, Bull. Suddenly, Bull pushed Mok and held him under the water. The young Mok was struggling to get his head above water and his lungs were burning. _

_Then, someone pulled him out and he began to choke. "Mok!" a female voice cried out, it was his mother, Cherine._

_Cherine wrapped him in a towel and held him tight to her chest. She said something in French to Bull, but he cries out, "Your idiot son slipped and almost drowned!"_

_Mok saw an angry frown on his mother's face, she knew her husband was lying. "Don't give me that look, I know what I saw!" Bull shouted and Cherine took her son out of the bathroom._

_The memory began to change and it featured the young Mok with Cherine, she was teaching him to sing._

_"What is this?" an irritated voice said in the doorway of Mok's bedroom. It was Bull, he had a bottle of whiskey in one hand and he was drunk._

_"Are you trying to annoy me with that so called singing?" Bull asked, again. Cherine and Mok said nothing and Bull adds, "You know why I named you Mok? Because you're a mockery to me."_

_Bull wobbled out of the room and Cherine hugs her son. She says in French, "Don't pay any attention to him. He does not know how special you are. I know that one day you are going to do something big. Then, your father will be eating those words."_

_"But why does he hate me?" Mok asked in French._

_"It's the alcohol, it does awful things to you," Cherine answered and they resumed their singing lessons._

_The memory changed to the day where Mok received his scar. The young Mok was minding his schoolwork, when Bull wobbled into the room with a vodka bottle in hand. Mok saw him and a look of fear was shown on his face._

_"You doing work?" Bull asked and the young Mok gave a nod._

_"School is bullshit nowadays, waste of money," Bull said and a took a drink. "Why I didn't bother going to school most of the time, but my parents forced me. After high school I got the hell out of town and began to work my ass off to make ends meet. The world is full of shit-brains, just like my boss."_

_Mok realized that Bull was walking closer to him, but he stayed put. "You want to know why I'm home early?" Bull asked. Mok really didn't want to know, but his father says, "I got fired! For being drunk on the job! I'm not drunk! Am I?" Bull shouted at the young boy._

_Mok did not say anything, but suddenly, Bull slammed the bottle against the wall and it shattered._

_"Not talking?" Bull asked and held up the shard, "Well why don't I make you?" _

_Suddenly, Bull slashed across Mok's body and a wave of pain hit him. The boy looked down to see crimson red bloom on his shirt from his stomach to his shoulder. The young Mok gripped at his bleeding cut and collapsed to the floor._

_The memory faded into a new one, this time it featured Mok as a young man. He was returning home from a long night of playing music, singing, and performing magic at a night club._

_Mok was saving money so he and his mother could leave Bull for good. Right now, Mok only had enough to support himself and he hoped the next gig would pay more money._

_Before he entered his apartment complex, Mok heard screams and shouts coming from inside. He quickly went inside and to his horror, he saw Bull beating Cherine in the gut. _

_"You're leaving me, aren't you?! You and that stupid boy! You think the world resolves around you! You stupid bitch!" Bull yelled and slaps Cherine._

_At that moment, something in Mok snapped. Without thinking, he charged at Bull and threw him to the floor. Bull looked up in surprise, "You! You have the guts to stand up to me! I would not be surprised to know that you're not my son!" he shouted and clamps his hands around Mok's throat._

_Bull slammed him against the counter, tightening his grip. Mok looked around and right there was a knife. He took it in his hand and thrust it into Bull's chest._

_Bull stopped throttling Mok and blood spewed out of his mouth. Bull let go of Mok's throat and fell to the floor, dead._

"Mok! Mok!" someone was shouting outside of his dream. Angel gently shook her husband's shoulders, but he would not wake up.

Having no choice, Angel took her glass of water she kept on the side table and dumped it on Mok. With that, he woke up with a gasp and saw that he was wet.

"Sorry," Angel said, "You were crying out in your sleep. I tried to wake you, but you wouldn't."

"No, I should be sorry," Mok replied, "My mind was replaying my memories, the ones of my father."

"That must be worse than a nightmare," Angel said and loops her arms around him.

Mok laid his head down on the pillow and Angel looks at him with concern. "Are you okay now? Is it something you to talk about?" she asked and Mok looks at her.

He had been thinking about of the memories and of his mother. It had been over twenty years since he last her at that apartment of horrors. After he stabbed his father, Cherine ordered her son to take all of his savings and whatever he can carry and leave and never come back.

Mok didn't want to leave, but Cherine insisted that he had to go. He knew she was protecting him from a fate not meant for him.

"Angel," he said and she looks at him, "I have a huge favor to ask you."

"Sure, anything," Angel replied.

"It's my mother, Cherine, I want you to find out what happened to her after I left her twenty years ago," Mok said to her.

Angel knew that her husband had been thinking of finding his mother for a very long time. She really wanted to help him and she nods her head. "When I go to work in the morning, I will see what I can dig up," Angel answered and Mok kisses her.

"Thank you," he said, then he kissed her and they settled down to sleep, again.

* * *

><p><strong>From the author: I had this story at the top of my head for a long time. When I first watched 'Rock n Rule', I saw Mok as someone who experienced a lot of tragedy in his life, being abused by his father was one of them.<br>**

**Stick around for more chapters. **


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Angel decided not to waste time in searching for Mok's mother, Cherine Swagger. The good news was that there was no crime committed in the pass few days, which meant no paper work to fill out.

Angel went on her computer at work and typed in Cherine's name in the search bar. To her surprise, there were a few news stories about her and an old crime report from over twenty years ago.

Angel read the crime report, it stated that Cherine was found in her apartment, with her husband's body in the kitchen. One of her neighbors had heard her screaming and phoned police.

Cherine had internal injuries and bruises all over her body when she was taken to a hospital. The doctors had also found hairline fractures to her bones and old ones, too.

Cherine was taken into protective custody until the police decided that she killed her husband in self-defense and filed no charges against her.

However, the police did ask where her son, Mok had gone, but Cherine refused to tell them.

After a few days in protective custody, Cherine was allowed to leave, but shortly after her release, she vanished. Her husband, whose real name was Redford Swagger, his bank account had emptied out in one day and she left everything in her apartment.

Angel finished reading the report, she read some of the news stories, but they gave no clue where Cherine had gone.

She went through birth records on Cherine, but there was none in her name. Angel called her husband and asks him what Cherine's maiden name was.

"I'll try to remember, she told me once, but now it is lost inside my head," Mok answered and they disconnected.

Then, an idea came to Angel's head; since Cherine had lived in Mystic Rock Harbor, the crime may have been handled by Angel's boss, Captain Davey Biggins.

She goes to his office and Davey summons her in. "Angel, is there something wrong?" he asked and she takes a deep breath.

"You have worked in the force for what? Thirty years?" she asked him and he nods.

"I was a rookie when I entered, as you were, why do you ask?" Biggins said, again.

"I must beg you to keep this a secret," Angel replied and adds, "I am working to find my husband's mother, Cherine Swagger."

Biggins stared at Angel with wide eyes, "Cherine Swagger you say? Oh my God," he said and leans back in his chair.

"What do you mean?" Angel asked, again.

"I remember Cherine and the case; it was god-awful for what happened to her. Her husband beating the hell out of her before she killed him, it was clearly self-defense. I gave her some coffee the first night she was here. She had a cut-lip, a black eye, and I was told she was treated for internal injuries and even hairline fractures," Biggins explained.

"Tell me," Angel said, "What do you know of Redford? Mok's father."

Biggins began to think and then, he went through a file cabinet and pulled out some papers. "I keep the interesting cases here," he said and hands a file to Angel.

She took it to her desk and began to read the birth record of Redford Swagger. Redford was born in Vancouver, but he was abandoned at an orphanage where he spent all of his early years there.

When he turned eighteen, Redford was released from the orphanage's custody and went to Mystic Rock Harbor where he got a job at a liqour store, where he was introduced to alcohol.

He was arrested multiple times for being intoxicated in public and driving drunk. When Redford turned twenty-five, he married Cherine and that was when the abuse began.

Cherine called police one time and Redford was arrested for domestic violence, but the charges were dropped as requested by Cherine.

That was the only time Redford was arrested for domestic violence, but there were calls from neighbors about verbal disputes from the Swagger apartment complex.

Angel thought of Cherine and Mok, living in that apartment with a man who would lose his temper and abuse them at every turn.

Angel remembered what Mok said to her about his father, whom he called Bull for he had a temperment of one. Mok stated that his father threatened Cherine about committing suicide and he would make it look like Cherine murdered him.

Angel remembered that her violent boyfriend, Omar had made a similar threat and she had to stay in the relationship before meeting Mok.

She then read the report of Redford's death and Cherine's submission to protective custody. Angel read Cherine's statement about the abuse she endured for twenty years.

According to the autopsy report, Redford died from a single stab to the heart from the knife that was emplanted in his chest.

When Cherine was asked about her son, she refused to say anything about Mok. The police searched for him throughout the British Columbia province, but he was nowhere to be found.

Angel felt relived that Mok had escaped to Ohmtown in time as he would've been arrested for his father's murder. However, Angel suspected that the police would've taken his statement about Redford trying to kill him and his mother.

"Why did Cherine order him to leave?" Angel asked herself. She suspected that Cherine was protecting her son, perhaps from being prosecuted for his father's murder.

Angel finished reading the file, but it gave no clue in where Cherine had gone after being released. She went to ask her boss, "Where did Cherine go after you released her?"

Biggins shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. After the case was closed, we got a call from the bank stating that Redford Swagger's bank account had been emptied out. The chief at the time went to check on Cherine, but he discovered that she was not at her apartment. He had everyone on the force look for her, but she had just disappeared from the face of the earth."

Angel asks, "Did she give out a maiden name? Is there anything useful that might help me in this investigation?"

Biggins looked through his desk and his private journal, but he shakes his head.

"There's nothing in the file that has info like that?" he asked, but Angel shakes her head. "I'm afraid I can't help you, Cherine never spoke of her past life. Maybe your husband has his mother's maiden name locked away in his memory somewhere," Biggins said and Angel leaves the office.

Angel began to think and thought of something. She went on her computer and went through marriage certificates and found Redford Swagger and Cherine Beaulieu.

Then, Angel's phone rang and she answered to hear her husband's voice. "Angel, I just remembered my mother's last name, Beaulieu," he said.

"I know, I'm looking at your parents' marriage certificate," Angel replied.

"What else did you find out?" Mok asked, he sounded curious and anxious.

"I will tell you when I get home," she said and she bid goodbye.

Angel looked up on Cherine Beaulieu and found some immigration papers online. To Angel's surprise, Cherine was actually born in Paris, France and she immigrated to Canada after her twenty-first birthday and met Redford Swagger while she was on vacation.

They got married a year later and that was when the trouble began.

Angel looked up on the Beaulieu family, but found nothing. She kept looking through the Internet, but there was nothing on Cherine's family.

"Did you find anything?" Biggins asked Angel when she decided to go home for the day.

"A lot," she answered and explained to him about Redford and Cherine Beaulieu.

"That is quite amazing," Biggins said.

"I still need to find info on the Beaulieu family in France," Angel replied and Biggins allowed her to go home.

Angel sat in her car for a few minutes and thought of some possibilites about Cherine. She could've been an orphan, too, but a name like Beaulieu sounded really important.

Angel drove home and looked around the town. It had been a month since the powerful storm came and knocked the electricity out. Everyone had gone crazy during that time, including one family man named Alan Middleton who murdered his family on the night of the storm.

When Angel arrived and parked in the driveway, she became aware of a sound coming from inside the house. It sounded very familiar to her, strings of a violin.

That was when it hit her and she immediately rushed inside.

* * *

><p><strong>From the author: Who is the mystery guest? Find out next time!<strong>


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Angel rushed up the stairs and into the living room where she found the male dog-humanoid violinist. He wore a wrinkled shirt and overalls and a cap. He played magnificently on the old violin and the strings played a wonderful tone, one that Angel recognized.

When he finished playing, he took a bow as Emmy clapped her hands frantically. Harold the violinist gave a bow and he turned to face Angel. "Angel, it's so good to see you, again," he said and they shared a hug.

"Did the wind blew you back here?" Angel asked and Harold chuckled.

"Yes it did and it was a good thing I came by," he said, referring to Emmy, who was checking out his violin case.

The adults sat outside on the patio and were served some cold drinks. Harold told Angel and Mok about what he had been up to. "I've been all along the east coast, all the way down to Florida. Oh, before I forget, Rhonda Legrand is still on death row and they tore down the Black Widow and made it into a sanctuary for trafficked women and children," Harold explained and Angel felt a sense of relief.

She had horrible memories of her time as a sex slave at the Black Widow Casino Hotel, which was almost four years ago. Angel had been sold by her boyfriend, Omar for drugs and the dealers took her to Miami, where she became a plaything for men at the hotel.

If Mok had not saved her and the other women at the hotel, Angel was sure she would stay there until Rhonda killed her for not following the rules or stop getting customers.

"Mok has told me of your cases, I never thought this town would go through anything like murder," Harold said to Angel and she nods, but she then remembered her search earlier.

"Mok, I have found some interesting details about your parents," Angel said and she saw Mok's ears perk up and he stared at her.

"Go on, I'm listening," he replied and gave his full attention and Harold also listened in.

"Your father was really named Redford, he was born in Vancouver, but he was abandoned after birth and was left at an orphanage where he spent his early life there. After he was eligible to live on his own, he moved to Mystic Rock Harbor and got a job at a liquor store and he was introduced to alcohol.

"He met Cherine, your mother when he was twenty-five and they got married a year later. He was arrested one time for domestic violence a few weeks after they got back from their honeymoon, but the charges were dropped at Cherine's request. Police were called a few times at the apartment they lived for verbal disputes, but no arrests were made," Angel explained and Mok leaned back in his chair.

"And what happened after I...left my mother?" he asked.

"Cherine was taken into protective custody and she was treated for internal injuries. Biggins was a rookie at the time of the case and he did say Cherine had hairline fractures," Angel answered.

"She didn't go to jail?" Mok asked, again.

"No, the judge decided not to press charges as they believed it was self-defense and Cherine was allowed to leave. However, Biggins' boss at the time did go to check on her, but she had left and Redford's bank account had been emptied out," Angel said and Mok pressed two fingers to his tear ducts.

"Did you find anything about her past life?" he asked.

"All I know is that Cherine Beaulieu was born in Paris and she immigrated to Canada after her twenty-first birthday and she met Redford while she was vacationing here," Angel answered and Mok stared at her with wide eyes.

"Paris? In France?" he said and Angel nods, "That is quite amazing. I never thought she was born in Europe because she never told me of her past life," he adds.

"At first, I thought she was an orphan, too, but a name like Beaulieu sounds really important," Angel replied and Mok scratches under his chin. "If you don't mind, I would like to use M.A.I. in my search. I think she might help in finding the Beaulieu family," she said.

"By all means," he replied and Angel gets up from her chair and kisses Mok's forehead. She then went inside and located M.A.I., the supercomputer Mok created.

Angel went into the room where M.A.I. was kept and she says, "M.A.I., I have a request for you."

"What can I do for you, Miss Angel," the female voice asked and M.A.I. face appeared on the screen.

"I wish to locate the whereabouts of the Beaulieu family in France and maybe see if there is any living members, please," Angel said and an infinity symbol appeared on the screen.

"Begin search," M.A.I. replied and the symbol looped around.

"How long will it take?" Angel asked.

"May take hours or a day, I will do my best in my search," the supercomputer replied and Angel nods.

"Let me know when you have completed your search," Angel said and leaves the room.

She looked into her daughter's room and saw Harold teaching Emmy how to play the violin. The strings would screech and the notes did not come out right, but Harold was patient and showed her how to proper place the violin on her shoulder.

Angel leaves them alone and locates her husband still out on the patio, staring out into space. She sat down beside him and she noticed tears in his eyes.

"If my mother did leave this town, she must've gone back to France," Mok said to Angel.

"You believe she's alive?" she asked and he nods.

"For over twenty years I always believed she was alive and she was looking for me, too," Mok replied and Angel comes to his side.

"If M.A.I. finds any living Beaulieu family member, we'll ask them where she is," she said and they shared a kiss.

"I appreciate in what you are doing," Mok said and kisses her, again.

"Only because you asked me to. You know, I should do the same in finding my parents' killer," Angel replied and he looks at her.

"You'll probably have to go back to Ohmtown, are you willing to do so?" he asked and Angel began to think.

After her parents were murdered, Angel swore to herself that she would find their killer, and she applied to the Ohmtown Police Station and she would save the money from every paycheck in order to get into the forensic training at the police academy.

All of that changed when she met Omar, who ordered her to quit and she had gone through two years of abuse. She tried her best to convince him to let her go back to work, but he refused and would sometimes beat her when she brought it up in a conversation.

Angel decided not to bring up those memories and thought of the present. She was grateful of the life she had now; a loving husband, a daughter she loves, a wonderful job, and a good community she lives in.

Yet she knew there was plenty of evil in this world and she wanted to protect Emmy from all of it.

"Angel?" she heard Mok say and she snapped back into reality.

"Sorry I was thinking," she answered.

"Zip called, it's dinner time," he said and they went inside to have a polite conversation with Harold while eating.

* * *

><p><strong>From the author: Liking it so far? I will keep you posted.<br>**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Swagger's and their guest enjoyed their evening meal with a glass of wine, expect for Emmy who indulged on a cup of grape juice.

"Have you ever been to Italy, Harold?" Angel asked.

"I've never been to Europe, always wanted to. If I could grow wings, I will head over there in an instant. Would you be heading to France? That is, you are looking for..." Harold stopped talking as he knew discussing about Cherine would make Emmy ask a lot of questions.

"I always wanted to go to Italy," Angel said, as she never ventured out of North America before.

"You will love Europe," her husband, Mok said to her, "They like foreigners. Of course, they like getting tourist money and such."

"Mommy," Emmy said, "May I be excused?" she asked.

"Yes, you can go," Angel replied and the little girl left the table.

"Sooner or later, she will hear about her grandmother," Harold said to the two.

"I never thought my mother would return to France, in fact, I never knew where she came from before coming here," Mok replied and refilled his wine glass.

"Once M.A.I. has finished searching for the Beaulieu family, then we will see if she did return to France," Angel pointed out and had her wine glass refilled. "However, if she did not have any family here, then I would think she did return to Europe."

"After what happened to her, I would say she did return to France. I honestly believe that she and her family had some falling out of a sort before she moved here," Harold stated and continues, "If she had told her family of what had happened, then they would welcome her back in.

"I had a cousin who had a big fight with her father and she ran away one night. Now her father did say he hated her, but when she left, he did break down in tears," Harold explained, "He spent his entire time and his money to locate her. Turns out she was at a bus station, but she had no money to leave West Virginia."

"If it does take time and money to search for my mother, I don't mind at all," Mok said and finished his wine.

"Mok, when was the last time you went to France?" Angel asked, she wondered if he may have seen Cherine, that is, if she was in France at the time.

"Well, the first time was my first European tour, which was about...15 or maybe at least 18 years ago and it was a terrible experience in France at that time," he answered and explains, "Emmy, my girlfriend was suffering the final stages of cancer and on the first night of the concert in Paris I received news that she collapsed in our hotel room.

"I decided to delay the concert and visited Emmy in her hospital room. She insisted, no, more like ordered me to go and sing for my fans," Mok continued with the story. "But that did not end there. In the middle of one of my songs, I litterly stopped and started sobbing. I'm talking buckets of tears."

Angel rubbed her husband's back and says, "You loved her, that is what matter to you during that time."

"How did your fans react?" Harold asked, rather curiously.

"They started shouting in French, but I don't remember what they said. I think a few said 'Do it for Emmy!'. So, I started the song over and it was a hit with them," Mok answered and takes one of Angel's hands. "I decided to cancel the rest of my tour," he added.

"So you did not see anyone that looked familiar to you?" Angel asked.

"I did not see my mother in the crowd, I was not paying attention to the fans. All I cared about during that was Emmy," Mok said and he kissed Angel's hand.

"Harold," Emmy, their daughter said, "Would you play that song, again?"

"Sure," he answered and took out his violin. He tuned it and began to play 'Short Trip Home'.

Angel felt entranced by the song as always as she loved to listen to that song. When she first heard it in Miami, where she and Mok met Harold, it was a wonderful experience as her fears withered away in the wind.

As the song played, all of the stress Angel had been holding in was dying and she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

The moment the song ended, Angel came back into reality.

"Oh, why does it have to end?" Emmy complained.

"I have it on a CD, of that concert," Mok said to his daughter and she got excited. "You can play it over and over."

"But it sounds better in real life," Emmy stated and Angel agreed to that.

"Harold is tired from his journey, I believe he wishes to go to sleep," Mok said and Harold nodded at Emmy.

"Once I'm all rested, I'll play the song over and over," he said and placed the violin back in its case.

Angel realized of how late it was for Emmy and she took her daughter's hand and says, "It's pass your bedtime young lady."

"Can I stay up for five more minutes?" Emmy pleaded. Angel could not turn down her little girl, but she had to set an example.

"Two minutes and it's bedtime," she ordered and Emmy rushed off to her room.

Angel watched as Emmy listened to the CD that had Harold's violin songs. It was the last CD that Mok ever released as he had retired from the music business years before.

When the two minutes were up, Emmy got into her night gown, brushed her teeth, and went to bed.

Angel decided to retire to bed early as she was exhausted for some reason. She washed up in the shower, dried her hair, and went to bed.

Her husband laid beside her a few minutes later and both were sound asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>From the author: Stay tuned for more!<strong>


End file.
